Lauren Liden Story
Womens A-35+
Last year I raced C category on my 30# full suspension mountain bike. I was year end champion. This year Jon Tallerico built me a fine cyclocross bike, so I moved up, skipping B category, so as to race with people "more my age", though they all also have many years of racing, and especially CX racing over me.
Race #1 - a very hard and bumpy course, I crashed twice, the back wheel fell off each time, finished last. Took the bike to Jon and told my tale. He made some changes and put the wheels on more securely.
Race #2 - Lined up behind Linda Elgardt who was the masters national CX champion in her age group(57 yr old), had a very close finish, getting third by hundredths of a second over the next racer, but never passed Linda-she was second.
Race #3 - today at Condon Park, Grass Valley. I remember this course exquisitely from last year. It start's with what Chris Swartwood called a "hole shot". An uphill sprint on pavement, then a 90 degree right hand turn onto dirt singletrack. Everytime I thought about the start in the days prior to today I got anxious, so I would tell myself "just stop, Don't think about it!" The person who get's there first is in control for at least the first lap depending on their bike handling skills, then it's power, endurance and skills. But to get trapped behind someone here is certain death.
The course is in a wooded park, with lots of sharp corners, soft duff under foot, off camber corners, and a couple straightaways where you could use it or lose if you had the power. I told myself that today I would not be intimidated by the riders with years of experience and better skills-especially over the barriers. I had been practicing my dismount, barriers and remount, getting smoother, but still had a long way to go.
People have told me I have a powerful sprint, today I would find out for real. I made my plan for the day. Get there early, ride the course several times to really get to know it, get to the start early, take a good position at the line and don't give it up. Ride all out, don't give up, see what I've really got.
My morning went according to plan, I arrived in good time and pre-rode the course 4 times around, the exact same course as last year. There was a very steep down hill-which I am pretty sure I crashed on last year. Then shortly there after there is a really steep uphill- around a tree -180 degree turn, and right back down the same hill-scarily steep.
My first preride I didn't make it up the steep part. I watched several men ride up and down, and was determined to master it on the next lap. The soft ground was sketchy, the wrong braking, bad line, too much speed in the wrong place were all recipes for disaster.
I kept letting air out of my tires looking for the sweet spot of traction vs speed. At the end I probably had about 25 Lbs in the front and mayber 30-35 rear. I mastered the uphill-tree-downhill and practiced it to really set the technique in my memory. This race would be at least as much about handling skills as speed and power.
We lined up at the start-all the women A. I got there early and took the "pole position" the very inside. Looking at the other competetors I wondered if I had it in me. My heart was thudding in my chest. 5 minutes, more thudding. 2 minutes-my heartrate kept increasing - it had to be nearing a hundred. 45 seconds, HR >100 now. 5 second countdown started - I began breathing very deeply "preoxygenating" no good letting all that heart activity go to waste I thought.
GO!- I sprinted with all I had - I made the corner first, I expected a challenge from the outside, but no one was there. A couple sharp corners, then an uphill, my legs burned but I kept powering. At the next switchback I Iooked, a racer was only a few lengths back. Wow, I thought I'm in the lead! I did it! There's still a long ways to go I reminded myself, alot can happen, ride carefully, keep racing.
I held my lead for the first lap, made all the ups and downs without a mishap. Just at the end of the lap I was passed by 2 racers, one from the A's and one in my category A-35+, &$34;don't quit, it's not over yet", I thought to myself.
The racer in my category was Joan Gregg - she was season champ in A's last year, and so far had won both A-35+ races this year. I passed her on a short uphill, stayed ahead through the up-tree-down section, then biffed it in the soft stuff on a shallow corner. I said bad words, she passed me, I yanked my bike up and jumped on, pedaling hard to catch her.
In a straight section I realized my seat was now crooked, the nose pointed significantly to the left! This should be interesting I thought. Shortly I was racing so hard I forgot about it until the race was over. Joan and I traded the lead for the next 4 laps, she would pass me, I would pass her. As I got tired I could really tell my bike handling went to pot. She always seemed in better control and picked better lines. I made the barriers okay, but always a bit slower that her I think. Each lap the up-tree-down thing got a bit worse, I would make it but just barely, putting my foot down a couple times. The third lap as I was again trying to catch her I hit something with my front wheel, the handlebar was ripped out of my right hand and I momentarily lost control of the bike. I grabbed that bar, with what had to have been a look of terror on my face. A crash would have been ugly. I determined to hold on tighter. I man watching had seen what happened and said; "good save", as I thundered past. Joan was still ahead as I was determined not the let up, this would be a duel to the end. The last lap - this was it. My legs burned, I felt nauseated, I was too close to just give it away. I passed Joan again on the same uphill. When I came to a power sprint I seemed to be able to beat her. She was right on my wheel, she wasn't giving up either. She was right behind me at the up-tree-down, I didn't do it well, coming almost to a stop around the tree, and I think causing her some grief because she was too close when I made my mistake. I pulled ahead for a bit. There's a paved area on "the backstretch" then you ride around a pond on a sketchy little singletrack, dodging around 2 rocks big enough to take you down if you hit them. After that there's a gravel path, small bridgy thing, paved path with curves, barrier section, remount, pavement, sharp left hand corner and slight downhill to the finish. Joan blew past me on the pavement in the backstretch. I accelerated to catch her. We got trapped behind a slower rider from the C division on the singletrack, both of us yelling at her to clear the path so we could go. Finally we hit the gravel and it was a bit wider. Joan was still in front at the bridge. Okay, let's see what you have left I thought to myself. I powered past her into the curved paved path. There was just enough room. At the barriers I could hear her right at my right shoulder, just behind. God I thought, this is where she will get me - the remount is my weakest spot. I pushed my bike and jumped on, I could still hear her to my right and just behind. I grabbed my pedals and pedaled with everything I had. Left turn, pedal harder! I yelled at the racer in front of me-calling her by name (we had raced the same category last year) begging her to let me by. Please, please Jessica, let me get past you! I felt panicked, to be so close and be second would just kill me. I crossed under the barrier-FIRST! Joan was almost exactly 1 second behind me. I still can hardly believe I won against women with way more years of experience. And looking at Joan after the race, several years younger I would guess. She looks about 35-37. Wow.
Sorry if this is too long, thanks for reading. Lauren Epilogue: The photographer from CX magazine was there taking pictures and did a brief interview with me, if we're lucky MDWCT may make it either onto the website or in the magazine (doubtful), but a mention on the web would be pretty cool! As Lyle couldn't make it today, I have no pictures. The race photographer took plenty though.